A hand held blasting gun for controlling and directing toward a surface to be cleaned a blasting stream of pressurized air laden with dry ice particles.
Pressurized streams laden with particles of dry ice are directed against a surface to be cleaned, similar to the commonly known sand blasting. A significant advantage of using dry ice particles instead of sand is that the solid carbon dioxide will sublime, leaving no residue of its own to be cleaned up.
Because the dry ice is very cold, care must be taken to protect its user so that the nozzle can be conveniently and safely held and manipulated. A clear line of vision, minimum weight of gun and hose, ability to transfer the gun from one hand to the other without stepping over the hose, and convenient adjustment of the nozzles direction relative to a handle. All can contribute to safety, efficiency and convenience.
In commonly-known dry ice blasting guns, there is a tendency for the particles to agglomerate and plug up the gun, at times even when care is taken to avoid it. It is an object of this invention to provide a gun which enables the direction of the nozzle to be adjusted through a wide angular range while maintaining a smooth passageway, resulting in minimal or nearly non-existent likelihood of clogging.
Another advantage offered by the present invention is illumination directly ahead of the nozzle, whatever its angle relative to the handle, so the operator can see into cavities or recessed areas he is cleaning, rather than have to stop from time to time to see what he has done.
In addition, this construction provides important ergonomic benefits, because the operator can adjust the nozzle to his most comfortable position while maintaining his hand, thereby also reducing stress.
A dry ice blasting gun according to this invention includes a handle to be held by the operator, and a nozzle mount pivotally mounted to the handle. A nozzle is carried by the nozzle mount, and adjustment means holds the nozzle mount and therefore also the nozzle in a selected angular position relative to the handle. The handle carries a switch to control the flow of the blasting stream.
A flexible hose which retains sufficient flexibility under the reduced temperatures involved is mounted in both the handle and in the nozzle mount, between arc-limiting guides as the angle is changed between the handle and the nozzle mount.
According to a preferred but optional feature of the invention, a light is mounted in the nozzle mount, aligned with the nozzle and including the base of the nozzle, whereby the operator can have a better view of the work area.
According to yet another preferred but optional feature of the invention, a bayonet coupling in the nozzle mount allows for selected sizes of nozzle to be easily and quickly substituted for one another.
The above and other features of this invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which: